Where does “cuttlefish” come from?
Cuttlefish derives from Middle English cuttle, from Old French cuttle, from Latin cultellus, meaning small knife, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ep-, meaning to grasp.
cuttlefish (English): any of various squid-like cephalopods of the...
Definitions
- any of various squid-like cephalopods of the...
Ancestry of “cuttlefish”, step by step
cuttlefish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Fish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Fish | The constellation and zodiacal sign Pisces |
| 2 | Old English | fiscian | to fish |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | fiskōn | to fish, to catch fish |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fiskōną | to fish, to catch fish |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 9 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English cuttle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cuttle | Synonym of cuttlefish; A knife; A foul-mouthed... |
| 2 | Middle English | cutil | — |
| 3 | Old English | cudele | cuttlefish |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *kudulǭ | cuttlefish, squid, cephalopod |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kuddô | bag; pod; sack; purse |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gewt- | sack; pouch; pouch, sack |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |